Please forgive any shortcomings, this is my first diary.
I joined this community when most of the country thought Hillary Clinton would be the democratic nominee for president. I, however, was an ardent supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, having read his first book "Dreams of My Father," and hearing him speak on one occasion. I was convinced that he was the only candidate, who truly came from the people and who would speak for the people.
I volunteered for the campaign here in New York when the vast majority of the citizens supported Hillary. I travelled to Ohio, on my dime, and spent a week canvassing in a largely republican town, because I believed in the candidate. On election day in Ohio, I worked as an election observer in an underserved community in Dayton. Tears came to my eyes that day as I watched elderly African-Americans going to vote, who said they never thought they would live to see the day. I was just as moved by the array of African-American young men who braved the inclimate weather to cast their first ballot. I felt, as Sam Cooke sang, "a change is going to come."
I can not tell you how many weekends I was in Pennsylvannia passing out campaign literature, registering new voters, and canvassing.
And, because I felt guilty spending so much time outside of New York, I recruited friends and associates, who had never demonstrated any real interest in politics to become involved. As a result, while they were not willing to become officially involved with the campaign, they organized groups to register voters in their communities and worked diligently to get new voters out on election day.
I volunteered in Philadelphia the week leading up to the general election, and on election day I worked a polling site, from opening to closing, as an election observer. Consequently, I was in a hotel room (at my expense) alone when the great news came in of our victory.
I never expected Barack Obama to be my perfect president. I did, however, expect him to keep one basic truth -- to always tell us the truth.
It was a little disconcerting for me to watch many of his appointments come from the former Clinton Administration. I let that go by. I did not agree with a number of other policy decisions; I told myself he has a large agenda and you have to compromise sometime.
But there came a time when I had to draw a line in the sand, and my line is healthcare reform. And, that's what I told him in a letter this summer and again tonight. I am absolutely livid that the administration would kow tow to a liver-lilied spot-belly creature like Lieberman, who has done everthing he possibly could to undermine the espoused principles of the democratic party.
I am not sure where I go from here; I have vowed to withhold my money from any democrat who goes along with this Lieberman-sponsored plan. I feel like I can only pray that we the people actually someday get the leader we work for and deserve.